


Burning Red

by alexwrites



Series: Red Verse [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Initial Kurt/Blaine, Kurtbastian Endgame, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-12 16:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/813778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexwrites/pseuds/alexwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His whole life Kurt has wanted nothing more then to find his soulmate. When he meets Blaine he can't help but hope that he's the one, but sometimes things don't always go according to plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burning Red

The first time Kurt touches another boys hand is one of the most nerve wrecking experiences of his life. Shaking slightly he pulls the soft black glove off his hand and reaches out towards Blaine’s already bare fingers. He hesitates a moment, fingertips hovering just above the other boys, but Blaine just smiles shyly and closes the small distance between their fingers.

His hand is warm and a bit dry but the moment they make contact Kurt feels a tingling sensation on his inner wrist. He looks down and sees red blotches beginning to form on his skin and he feels his heart leap. He looks up at Blaine but the other boy is too busy staring at his own arm to notice Kurt’s gaze.  He averts his eyes back down to his tingling skin and notices that the red blotches are starting for form words in unreadable chunky writing that looks more like a rash then a name.

As moments pass he can just start making out the letters that are now forming into what looks like thin, loopy, writing.

He grins happily to himself for a moment before he notices something, the irritated red color or the mark is slowly darkening. Immediately the smile slips off his face and he look back up at Blaine again, but just like before the boys eyes are fixed on his own darkening mark.

Not darkening into the deep blood red color that Kurt was so desperately wishing for, but into a magenta shade.

A few more moments pass and the mark is now a deep purple, as if the name was written in bruises. Kurt knows its silly to be disappointed because after all hardly anyone who has a red mark got it on their first touch. Most people don’t get it till the third step, that is if they get it at all.

His mark is almost finished now, the loopy writing sharpening just a bit more. He looks up at Blaine again and this time the boy is looking back at him with a huge grin plastered on his face. Kurt tries to return the smile without letting too much of his disappointment show, but then the tingling on his wrist suddenly stops. He pulls his hand from Blaine’s and looks down at his finally complicated mark.

The name Blaine Anderson shines up at him in midnight black ink.

Kurt’s known about the soul marking process his entire life, after all it’s something your parents read you stories about when you’re little, something you learn about in school, and something you can see in almost every romance movie ever made.

Three steps, three chances, and two colors.

The first and easiest way to get a mark is just by a simple touch of the fingertips. You touch someone’s bare hand with you own and if you two are destined to be together their name will appear on your inner wrist. But the thing is just because you’re destined to be with someone doesn’t mean you’re meant to be with them _forever_.

And this is where the colors come into factor.

Black means you’re destined to be together, it means that the fates have decided that you’re meant to give a portion –no matter how small– of your life to this person.

But red, red is your _soulmate_. The person who you will love above anything or anyone else, yourself included. A mark that ties you completely to one person, making you two half’s of the same soul. Red marks are much rarer then black ones because not everyone finds their soulmate, and the most important thing about red marks is that they’re permanent.

Black marks are much less serious, they can fade away along with your feelings for the other person, or they can be re written if your fingers touch someone else who you’re meant to be with. Black marks can also turn into red ones during one of the other steps.

You have three chances to get a red mark, the first step being the fingertips, the second is a kiss, and the third is and final chance to get a red mark happens during sex. But if you’ve taken all of these steps with you’re lover and the mark still hasn’t turned red then unfortunately they’re not your soulmate.

Plenty of people marry with only black marks but it’s not the some, you’re soul will never really feel whole… And after every thing he’s been though Kurt wants nothing more then to feel whole.

Kurt final puts his hand back down to his side and looks over at Blaine. He’s smiling up at him, his hand wrapped protectively around his new mark.

“You don’t look too excited” He says, his smile faltering slightly.

“It’s just…I was so sure it would be red” he admits, feeling silly as the words leave his mouth.

Blaine reaches over and touches his own name on Kurt’s skin

“We still have two more tries, and plenty of people are perfectly happy staying together with just black marks”

_I wouldn’t be_ Kurt thinks

And he knows it’s selfish and a bit silly but Kurt knows that a black mark won’t ever be good enough for him, he _needs_ to be with his soulmate because anything less then a red mark wouldn’t feel right in the end.

“Yeah, we still have two other chances” He smiles sadly.

 

\--

 

Two weeks into their relationship and they can’t wait anymore, and when Blaine surprises Kurt by pressing his lips to him in and empty Dalton classroom Kurt isn’t even a little upset, because he’s already wanted this since the day after their marking.

Blaine lips are soft and a bit wet and Kurt kisses back with just as much, maybe even more, enthusiasm. Suddenly Kurt feels a tingling on his wrist and has to resist the urge to tear his lips away from Blaine’s and to look down at his wrist.

Blaine doesn’t stop kissing him until the tingling stops. It’s a lot faster then the first marking, it takes maybe only a minute this time.

When Blaine pulls back his face is flushed and he’s smiling slightly Kurt only manages to smile back for a split second before he’s impatiently pulling up the sleeve of his blazer. He looks down at his mark and the feeling of disappointment swops through his stomach and he doesn’t even both trying to keep his emotions off his face.

The name Blaine Anderson shines back at him, a bit wet looking like all marks look when they are new or have just been though one of the three steps, in midnight black ink.

Blaine reaches out and covers his name with his hand

“Kurt it’s fine” he says, a smile still on his face but Kurt notices that his eyes don’t look as bright as they did after the kiss.

“We still have one more step” Blaine says, and despite his mood Kurt feels a red blush creep down his neck at the mention of the last step.

Blaine threads his gloved fingers through Kurt’s and they walk out of the room together.

As they walk down a corridor Kurt finds only one thought buzzing around in his mind.

_Just one more chance._

 

\--

 

A year later Kurt presses his mouth against Blaine’s to muffle the loud moan that escapes his lips as he comes. Blaine kisses back enthusiastically, his chest heaving and his breath coming out in pants. He tries to come down from his own orgasm that he had just finished only a moment before Kurt’s.

Kurt pulls out before collapses on top of him, and Blaine lets out an exhausted laugh. Kurt opens his mouth to make some sort of comment but the sudden tingling in his wrist makes him clamp his mouth shut.

He feels Blaine tense underneath him and Kurt presses his face into the crook of the other boy’s neck because _this is it_.

He loves Blaine, much more then he had the day they were first marked, and he feels like every day he loves him just a bit more. But Kurt knows that, despite all the times Blaine has reassured him otherwise, if he looks down and sees a black mark everything will change. He knows that even though he loves Blaine unconditionally now, that if the mark is black instead of loving him more and more each day he might find himself loving him less.

He tries to control his breathing as the tingling in his wrist seems too intensify and he feels Blaine wrap an arm around him.

Kurt can feel Blaine’s wrist on his back, it’s hot as if he just had a fever but only in that specific spot.

Another minuet passes and finally the tingling stops, it was a bit longer then last time but it still didn’t take nearly as long as the first.

Very slowly Blaine takes his arm off of him and Kurt pushes himself up, purposely not looking down at his hands.

His mouth is dry and he feels and unpleasant fluttering in his stomach but after staring into Blaine’s eyes a moment more he finally pulls his hand up between the two of them.

The name Blaine Anderson shines back up at him in darker then ever jet black ink.

Kurt sways on the spot and Blaine’s hands are quickly on his hips again.

“It’s fine Kurt, plenty of people never even bother with red marks, this doesn’t change the way I feel” 

But it changes the way Kurt feels, and when he looks back down at his wrist again he swears it’s a bit lighter then it was just a second ago.

His feelings are already fading, and Kurt hates himself for it.

 

\--

 

Weeks pass and the fading of his mark is completely noticeable now, but still Blaine doesn’t comment on it because there’s no need to. They both already know that Kurt’s feelings are the reason it’s losing color.

Kurt tries he really does, but the mark just grows lighter and lighter each day, even his friends and family notice it.

 

About a month and a few days after they took the third step, Kurt wakes up to find his mark completely vanished.

He panics at first because he knows Blaine is waking up to the same thing, or maybe he’s not. Kurt had worn a long sleeved shirt all day yesterday and then passed out without taking a shower and for all he knows it could have been gone for hours already and he’s just noticing it now.

Unlike the marking or the two other steps there was no tingling or itching or anything, it just vanished.

When Kurt gets to school that morning he finds Blaine standing by his locker, a nervous look on his face.

“I’m sorry” Kurt blurts out the moment he walks up to him

“I’m sorry its me, it’s been fading for weeks and now it’s gone and we both know it’s my feelings that have been doing it” He says quickly, hoping in vain that Blaine doesn’t hate him.

Blaine opens his mouth like he wants to say something but then decides not to and closes it again. He looks at Kurt for a moment, not saying anything, but then he reaches out and pulls his glove off.

And there on Blaine’s wrist, written in red ink is another boy’s name.

“Oh” is all Kurt can manage to say.

He didn’t make the mark disappear, it had been re written.

Kurt feels hurt for a moment, but then he realizes that even if Blaine hadn’t touched someone else it was only a matter of time before their mark faded and Kurt can’t find it in himself to be upset of even annoyed at him.

“Congratulations” he says, and although he’s not mad at Blaine he can feel a sting of jealously. Not for the boy who’s name is on Blaine’s wrist, but because of the color.

The color that he has wanted more then anything to cover his wrist, and Blaine who would have been perfectly happy with just a black mark is the one to get it first.

“It was an accident” Blaine explains

“I was in the restroom washing my hands and I reached out for a paper towel at the same time as him and our fingers touched. It wasn’t because of you I swear” He says, his voice sounding close to tears.

“Blaine really its fine” he places a hand on his shoulder and smiles.

“Seriously I’m happy for you, even if we aren’t marked you’re sill my best friend” He says, and Blaine breaks out into a grin.

The next few days Blaine spaces out a lot and Kurt knows he’s thinking of his soulmate. Every time this happens Kurt can just see how connected the two boys are and it makes him want to scream with envy.

 

\--

 

Two and a half weeks later Kurt finds himself alone at the Lima Bean, Blaine being out with his soulmate and Rachel practicing for a duet with Finn he decided to just go on his own.

He sits at his table sipping his coffee and looking down at his right glove, his light skin peaked through a small hole on his finger that was about half the size of a dime. He had snagged it on something his morning and didn’t feel like going back to his house to change into a different pair. It didn’t matter though, it’s not like he had a chance at marking with someone in Lima anyways. He was just contemplating about where he would go after he finished his coffee when someone slid into the chair next to him.

“Hey princess, where's gay cyclops? Still trying to stumble his way in?”

I’m not in the mood for dealing with you today Sebastian” Kurt says and reaches out to grab his coffee cup but ends up just awkwardly hitting it with his hand making the thing tip over and cover the table, and to Kurt’s amusement, Sebastian in coffee.

“Ugh” Sebastian says, quickly scooting his chair a few inches back from the table.

“I just asked a question there was no need to throw coffee at me” He says pulling his now coffee soaked glove off of his hand.

“I didn’t do it on purpose, but I have to admit it was almost worth losing my drink over” Kurt grins.

Sebastian rolls his eyes and makes a sad attempt at using his already soaking glove to wipe off the coffee that had trickled down onto his lap.

“That’s just going to make it worse, here give it to me” Kurt reaches out to take the glove from Sebastian but the moment he does his wrist starts to tingle. 

Kurt freezes, and he looks down at his hands where his fingers had frozen in the middle of accidentally brushing against Sebastian’s unclothed hand.

He hopes in vain that he just imagined it, but then the tingling sensation intensifies and it feels more like a stinging now and he knows that this isn’t only in his head.

Sebastian’s looks down at their hands in horror.

“How” he croaks out.

Kurt tries to swallow, but his throat has gone dry and he has to wait a few seconds before he can speak.

“There’s a hole in my glove” he says softy.

Sebastian doesn’t respond, _maybe his throat has gone dry too_ Kurt thinks.

It feels different then it did with Blaine, with him it was just a weird tingling sensation, but this…this was nothing like that.

The stinging sensation was replaced with that felt like burring, it burnt so bad Kurt wanted to rip his hand away. But obviously he couldn’t because that’s the thing about marking rituals, once they start they can’t be stopped.

They say nothing for a moment, and Kurt can’t help but look up from his hand once the red blotches start forming on Sebastian’s wrist.

He expected Sebastian to be staring down at his own hand just as Blaine had, but he’s not, instead he’s looking directly at Kurt. A look of confusion and something else on his face, but the moment he notices Kurt staring back he averts his eyes back down to their hands.

Kurt doesn’t look away from Sebastian, and he notices every so often Sebastian’s eyes dart back up to him but look away when he see’s that Kurt is still looking at him.

He wants to look down at his wrist, to see the darkening mark but for some reason he can’t take his eyes off of Sebastian. He sits there, ignoring the burning on his wrist and studies Sebastian’s face. Noticing every freckle, every blink, and every small grimace in those moments when the burning gets too intense.

Sebastian’s starting to look a bit pale now, and his eyes are wide as he stares down at his wrist. Kurt wonders what’s going through his mind right now, maybe fear or even anger at Kurt for not remembering he had a hole in his glove.

A few more minuets drag on slowly and finally the burring stops and there’s only a slightly throbbing feeling left.

Kurt lets his eyes fall down to Sebastian’s uncovered wrist…

And there is lays on his lap, a soaking glove between their hands and Sebastian’s wrist is facing himself so Kurt has to lean forward a bit to see it from this angel but when he does he feels his stomach flutter nervously.

There on Sebastian’s coffee covered wrist is the name Kurt Hummel written in thin loopy writing.

_Red_ writing.

“Shit” Sebastian says, flipping his hand over so his wrist is completely faced up.

“Shit” Kurt agrees.

 

After a few awkward moments of just sitting there Kurt notices how Sebastian makes a face at the sticky stained glove.

Immediately Kurt walks over to the counter and grabs some napkins as Sebastian watches his every move. He wipes up the table and then hesitates for a moment before reaching down and wiping Sebastian’s hand clean, his fingers lingering a bit on his newly marked wrist.

Kurt gets up to throw the soiled napkins away and as he walks back to the table he notices Sebastian grab his phone –which was laying on the table thankfully far away from where the coffee spilt– and starts to type something on it.

He slides back into his seat and raises an eyebrow at Sebastian but he just punches in a few more things on the phone before calmly handing it back to him.

“I’ll see you around Kurt” He says in an unfamiliar polite tone.

Kurt pulls off his gloves as he walks back to his car because there’s no need for them now.

 

He drives home in silence, the first time he’s ever driven anywhere alone without switching the radio on. He feels a wave of emotions trying to bubble up in him but he forces them down and tries to focus on driving. Because that would be just his luck, getting into a car crash right when he finds his soulmate.

His _soulmate_

The thought makes him choke out a small noise that sounds a bit like a sob but he snaps his mouth shit and bites down on his lip, forcing himself to keep it together.

When he gets home he sits in his parked car for a few moments willing himself to calm down enough to make it to his room. But the longer he waits the worse it get’s so he jumps out of the car thinking he might be able to run up to his room without anyone even noticing he’s here.

But of course the moment he gets through the front door his dad walks in the room

“Hey I didn’t think you’ve be back till later” Burt says cheerfully, but then he takes one good look at his son and his smile falls

“Kurt what-”

His dad doesn’t even get to finish his sentence because Kurt falls to his knees right then and there and bursts into tears.

His dad’s eyes go wide in shock and he walks over to Kurt and kneels besides him

“Kurt what’s wrong? Are you hurt” His voice sounding just on the board line of worry and panic.

Kurt throws his arms around his father and sobs harder. Burt pulls away a bit to look down at his face

“Kurt you have to tell me what happening” He asks, frantically now.

Kurt tries to say something but he can’t so he just shoves his hand in front of his fathers face. Burt looks confused for a moment but then his eyes land on the blood red lettering on his wrist and realization hits him.

He looks taken back for a moment but then an excited smile spreads across his face and he hugs Kurt even tighter. His dad is grinning so wide and even laughing a little because _he knows_ , he knows that Kurt not crying because he’s sad, he’s crying because he’s feeling _so_ much. A wave of emotions runs through Kurt and he clutches to his dads shirt to keep himself from tumbling over. He hears someone else walk into to room and say something, probably Finn or Carole, but he doesn’t care because all he can think about is Sebastian.

Sebastian with his piercing green eyes and confident smirk, he can hardly believe that those things filled him with anger and annoyance before because now they fill him with hope and possibility of something so much more then he’s ever had with anybody. He worries because knowing Sebastian he might want to ignore the mark, but a strange feeling in his gut tells him that won’t happen.

He’s slowly calmed down now, and he’s no longer crying. His dad still has his arms around him but he’s starting to look a bit uncomfortable now.

Kurt wipes at his eyes and when he catches sight of the red mark on his wrist he can’t help but let a laugh bubble out of him. Burt smiles at him as he finally pulls away and they both stand back up. He wants to say something but he can’t think of anything to say because he still can’t think of anything but _Sebastian Sebastian Sebastian_

Carole then swops in and hugs Kurt tightly

“Congratulations honey!” she gushes, before pulling away with a smile mirroring her husbands.

“Yeah, congrats kiddo” Burt says.

“Who is it Kurt” Finn asks from where he was leaning against the wall, a bit further away from himself, probably trying to give them space.

“Sebastian Smythe” He says without hesitation.

 Finn looks confused and he opens his mouth to say something but Carole shoots him a look and he snaps his mouth shut.

“Oh I have to make something to celebrate” Carole says before walking towards the Kitchen.

Kurt doesn’t follow her; instead he makes his way up to his room to think about Sebastian. He cries a few more times that night, but he also burst into hysterical laughter quite a few times as well so it evens things out.

 

\--

 

The next morning Kurt wakes up earlier then usual and the first think he thinks about when he opens his eyes is Sebastian. He wonders if he heads down to the Lima Bean he would run into him. He gets up and picks up his phone to find that he as a new text.

The name Sebastian Smythe shows on his phone, and he smiles realizing what Sebastian was doing with his phone yesterday.

He opens the text and notices that it was sent over an hour ago, like him Sebastian must have woke up with Kurt on his mind.

It’s a simple one sentence message and he can’t help but wonder if his texts are always like this, short and straight to the point.

 

_11am at the lima bean, and try not to dump your coffee on me this time._

He doesn’t bother texting back because he knows that Sebastian doesn’t need a reply, because he already knows Kurt will come.

 

He eats breakfast in a rush and spends the rest of his time looking for something to wear, once he finally chooses an outfit he hurries out the door.

Kurt hears his dad yell something at his back that sounds an awful like

_“I expect you back home tonight Kurt”_

When Kurt walks into the Lima bean ten minuets early his eyes automatically dart to where Sebastian is already sitting at a table waiting for him.

“You’re here early” He says as he takes a seat next to him.

Sebastian shrugs as if it’s not a big deal, but to Kurt it is.

“I’m going to get a coffee, do you want one?” Sebastian stands.

“Um yeah, I’ll take a grande non fat mocha” He says, and Sebastian nods before walking over to the register.

Kurt stares at him as he walks away, he looks good today _really_ good.

He’s wearing dark blue jeans and a long sleeved buttoned up shirt. He pushed the green sleeves up to his elbows, emphasizing his arms and gloveless hands.

Kurt has only seen him out of Dalton uniform once, and that time he was wearing a tacky green striped polo and for a moment Kurt wonders if he’s dressed up for him.

He feels his stomach swoop at the thought.

When Sebastian sits back down at the table and slides Kurt’s cup towards him he can’t help but mention the outfit.

“You’re shirts nice” He says almost awkwardly.

 Sebastian grins and leans forward on his elbows.

God how could Kurt think that grin was annoying before, when it’s nothing but playful and achingly handsome.

“Just because your names on my wrist doesn’t mean you have to complement me” He says

“Well that’s good or else I’d be dammed to an eternity of lying”

Sebastian lets out a laugh, and its different then any one he’s heard him do before it’s loud and maybe even a bit dorky but it’s _real_ and it makes Kurt want to say something else to bring it out of him again.

“You and me both” Sebastian teases.

Kurt takes a long sip of his coffee and tries to get himself to remember what they really should be talking about, but Sebastian seems to understand what he’s thinking so he speaks first.

“So what are we going to do about this” he turns his wrist up.

Kurt thinks for a moment, of course he knows what he wants to do about it, but he also knows what kind of guy Sebastian is and soulmates or not he’s not sure if Sebastian would want anything even close to what Kurt does.

“Well, I know you probably want to continue with your current…lifestyle” He emphasizes the last word, hoping Sebastian understands.

Sebastian raises and eyebrow and sits up straighter

“You really think I would be able to continue my, as you put, lifestyle with this neon sign that practically says ‘taken’ on my wrist”

It’s Kurt’s turn to laugh and he notices the corners of Sebastian’s lips turn up just barely.

“You could wear gloves again” Kurt offers

But Sebastian makes a face

“No” is all he says.

And he realizes, with a jolt of pleasure, that Sebastian _wants_ to show off the mark.

Kurt looks down at his coffee in a sad attempt to hide the blush that’s creeping up his neck.

“I guess you’re stuck with me then” he says, still looking down.

Sebastian smiles in earnest this time

“I guess I am”

 

They talk for another half hour, about what they are exactly, Sebastian doesn’t like labels but it’s clear he’s fully intending to be with Kurt and only Kurt.

The conversation is filled with sarcastic remarks, witty come backs, and hidden poorly between the two, promises of more days spent together.

Kurt still can’t believe how he ever thought Sebastian was aggravating and unappealing, because now he can see just how right he is for him. He’s handsome and smart and keeps up with his witty and sarcastic comments like no one ever has before. Another twenty minuets pass and Kurt finds himself a little sad when Sebastian says he has to leave.

They say a quick and slightly awkward goodbye and reluctantly Kurt starts making his way back to his car.

He’s about to open the door when Sebastian grabs his marked wrist and tugs him towards himself, crashing his lips against his.

Kurt’s wrist immediately starts burning again but he ignores it and presses against Sebastian and kisses him back just as eagerly. The kiss is hard and a bit forceful but it makes Kurt’s heart soar and his blood start rushing. Kissing Sebastian is a lot different then kissing Blaine, his lips are dry and a little chapped and he kisses with the forcefulness and skill that Blaine lacked.

When Sebastian roughly catches Kurt’s top lip between his own he finds himself reaching up and tangling a hand in Sebastian’s hair to push him closer to himself. Sebastian responds by attempting to push his body even impossibly closer to Kurt, like no matter how close they are its still not enough for him. Sebastian starts to slow down making the kiss less heated and Kurt practically purrs at how their lips are moving so perfectly against each other. They fit together perfectly, like they weren’t meant to be just Kurt and Sebastian, but meant to be _KurtandSebastin_ one entity, one soul…and then Kurt’s thoughts go to the burning red mark on his wrist and he remembers that oh yeah, they are.

~The End~


End file.
